A device for treating obesity of a patient, the device comprising: at least one operable stretching device implantable in the patient and adapted to stretch a portion of the patient's stomach wall, and an implantable control unit for automatically controlling the operable stretching device, when the control unit and stretching device are implanted, to stretch the stomach wall portion in connection with the patient eating such that satiety is created.

An apparatus for treating obesity of an obese patient. The apparatus comprising a volume filling device adapted to be completely invaginated by a wall portion of a stomach of the patient. The volume filling device is adapted to be placed on the outside of the wall portion, with an outer surface of the volume filling device resting against the outside of the wall portion and such that a volume of a food cavity of the stomach is reduced in size by a volume having a treatment effect on the obesity.

An implantable apparatus for treating reflux disease in a human or animal mammal patient, the implantable apparatus being configured to be fixated to the stomach of the patient and comprising two or more implantable movement restriction device segments, wherein each implantable movement restriction device segment is provided with at least one assembly element that fits with at least one assembly element of another of said two or more implantable movement restriction device segment, so the two or more implantable movement restriction device segments by said assembly elements can be assembled into an implantable assembled movement restriction device.

A gastroscopic method of treating obesity of a patient using a device adapted to stretch a part of the stomach wall of said patient. The method comprising the steps of: inserting said device into the stomach of said patient through the esophagus, placing said device in contact with the stomach wall and fixating said device to the stomach wall such that said device can stretch a part of said stomach wall.

The present invention relates to a reflux disease treatment apparatus, comprising two or more movement restriction device segments adapted to form an implantable movement restriction device with an elongated shape that maintains cardia in the correct position. The movement restriction device has proximal and a distal end, wherein the distal end is adapted to stabilize and hold the proximal end. The invention further comprises a control device for controlling the stimulation device to stimulate the cardia sphincter. The distal end can be further adapted to treat obesity, for example by stretching the wall of the stomach or filling out a volume of the stomach.

An implantable device to treat obesity and a method of using the same, the device (31) is able to create a repetitive mechanical constraint on a gastrointestinal organ wall and includes: an energy source (36), and a mechanical stimulation element (35).

A gastric constriction device comprises a sheet extending over part of the wall of the stomach. Five bands extend around the stomach to fix the sheet in position relative to the stomach. The lower two bands extend from the first side of the sheet around the stomach only partially towards the second side. These lower two bands are not fixed to the second side. This arrangement results in an unconstricted portion of the stomach. In this manner, the device restricts expansion of the majority of the stomach wall while facilitating expansion of this unconstricted portion. The unconstricted portion is therefore free to expand or bulge outwardly upon ingestion. This expansion may trigger the feeling of satiation due to the presence of the vagal nerves in this portion of the stomach.

An apparatus for treating obesity comprises a volume filling device formed by at least two segments and is provided and following implantation, the device is placed resting against the stomach wall of the patient to reduce the inner volume of the stomach, thereby affecting the patients appetite.

An intraluminar method of treating obesity of a patient, having a stomach with a food cavity, is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of creating a pouch made of a stomach wall portion of the patient, closing the pouch by sutures, staples or a fixation device, and placing a volume filling device in the pouch before or after closing the pouch, and thus investigating the volume filling device in the pouch such that an outer surface of the volume filling device rests against an outer surface of the stomach wall.

An apparatus for treating reflux disease of a human patient. The apparatus comprising an implantable movement restriction device, having an outer surface that includes a biocompatible material. The movement restriction device is adapted to rest against and to be kept in place contacting the stomach fundus wall, without restricting food passage in the food passageway when implanted and in function, and without injuring the stomach fundus wall in a position between the patient's diaphragm and the cardia sphincter. The movement of the cardiac notch of the patient's stomach towards the patient's diaphragm is thereby restricted, when the movement restriction device is implanted, to thereby prevent the cardia from sliding through the patient's diaphragm opening into the patient's thorax. The movement restriction device is adapted to contact directly or indirectly the diaphragm muscle to prevent such sliding of the cardia through the patient's diaphragm, so as to maintain the supporting pressure against the patient's cardia sphincter muscle exerted from the patient's abdomen. The movement restriction device having a size, when implanted and in function such that the functional movement restriction device can be completely invaginated by the stomach fundus of the human patient, and of at least 125 mm.sup.3, and a circumference of at least 15 mm.